


A Child's Fancy

by teaish (orphan_account)



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire, A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Canon Divergence, F/M, Marriage, au marriage, happy accepted Theon Greyjoy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-17
Updated: 2015-11-17
Packaged: 2018-05-02 02:08:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5229797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/teaish
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“He remembered a time when he had thought that Lord Eddard Stark might marry him to Sansa and claim him for a son, but that had only been a child’s fancy.”</p><p>An AU in which Theon Greyjoy's childhood fancy of a marriage between him and Sansa Stark (and a chance to be a true Stark) is true.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Child's Fancy

**SHE WAS THREE AND HE TEN WHEN THEY FIRST MET.**

Lord Eddard Stark had taken him from Pyke to Winterfell to be his ward. The moment they arrive, he introduces him to his lady wife – Lady Catelyn Stark, with the cool blue eyes and tumbling red hair – and his children, five-year-old Robb and Sansa.

Robb, Theon notices, is as energetic a child could get at that age. He immediately takes him for his new buddy and is dragging him away to meet his brother the second the introduction ended. Theon notices Lady Catelyn’s chilly glare at the mention of Robb’s ‘brother’. It was a bastard of Lord Stark, he figures. What else would make Lady Stark frigid like that?  
But it is Sansa who he notices more. She is no more than three, and yet she is a lady to the bone. She wears a blue dress and she had smiled amiably when she saw him and his lord father approach. She curtsies so gracefully for a three-year-old and then ran towards her father to hug him.

Robb’s tug at his wrist when a boy the age of Robb waved at them makes him return to reality.

 _The bastard_ , Theon concludes when the boy – who was much more a Stark than Lady Catelyn’s son – comes closer.

  
________  
****  
SHE WAS FIVE AND HE THIRTEEN WHEN HE STARTED DREAMING.****

 ****  
Sansa is lady at five, more so that she is at three, and she starts making friends with the steward Vayon Poole’s daughter, Jeyne Poole. She couldn’t be any more different than her younger sister Arya, who at two is more of a wolf than she is a fish.

Theon has found himself staring at her often, her and her best friend, more often than he stares at feisty little Arya and the babe Bran. He finds himself looking at Jeyne and her playing, brushing and braiding their hairs, laughing and gossiping.

What he finds himself doing more often than staring at the Starks is envisioning a marriage between him and Sansa. Taking off her grey direwolf cloak to put in his black kraken one. He is more of a Stark right now than he is a Greyjoy; why not make it all official? Three years at Winterfell did that to him.

Three years at Winterfell, however, did nothing to ease the tension between him and the Starks. He knows he wasn’t just a ward for them; he is a hostage. Hostage since Greyjoy’s Rebellion.  
Well, it is better here than at Pyke, anyway. At least that’s what he tells himself.

“What’re you staring at?”

Theon’s head whips towards Robb, who is looking at him weirdly.

“Nothing.”

“You aren’t looking at _Sansa_ , aren’t you?”

“No,” he says. _No, I wasn’t looking at Sansa. I was looking at her, and Arya, and Bran, and you. I was looking at someone who’s part of a family I want to be in. I was looking at my way in._

  
________  
**  
SHE WAS SIX AND HE FOURTEEN WHEN HE STOPPED DREAMING.**

Dreams hurt, after all, more especially an unattainable daydream, so Theon Greyjoy plasters a smile over his face at all time, determined never to be caught unawares again.

  
________  
**  
SHE WAS NINE AND HE SEVENTEEN WHEN HE FIRST GOT HOLD OF THE NEWS.**

Robb had taken him aside one morning after they had broken their fast and says, “I think Father has plans to wed you to Sansa.”

Theon looks at him. “What?”

“I heard him and Mother arguing last night when I came to ask them something.” Robb crosses his arms and looks up at him solemnly. “Father thinks this may control your father, but Mother refused. Before Maester Luwin almost caught me, I think Father’s winning against Mother.”

Turmoil breaks all throughout Theon. It is past time he grew up and left the daydream of marrying Sansa, as well as truly becoming a part of the Starks, but the situation had presented itself, right in front of him. So much emotions rages inside him it made Theon feel lightheaded.

“Theon?” Robb’s voice says, calming him down. “Are you okay?”

Theon feels himself nod absently. “Yes.”

Robb smiles. “In the case the betrothal will be done, welcome to the family.”

  
________  
**  
SHE WAS ELEVEN AND HE NINETEEN WHEN THE BETROTHAL WAS ANNOUNCED.**

Half of Winterfell is shocked, and half outraged. _The Greyjoys’ are rebels!_ They shout. _Why marry Sansa to the heir?_

Sansa, ever the courteous lady, bows her head and accepts the betrothal with no audible complaints. “It would be my pleasure,” she’d said after she’s been informed.

“It would be for the best of Winterfell,” Lord Eddard said, and Lady Catelyn nodded, though she was more reluctant.

And Sansa, she smiled pleasantly at the people to calm them down.

Theon Greyjoy’s heart, however, doesn’t calm down.

  
________  
**  
SHE WAS NINETEEN AND HE TWENTY-SEVEN WHEN THEY WERE WED.**

Theon stands beneath the heart tree, watching Sansa walk up arm-in-arm with Lord Eddard Stark. She has her maiden’s cloak about her shoulders, a grey cloak with direwolf. She is already a woman grown, prettier and more ladylike that she's ever been before. She stands tall and gracious. Theon watches her and he could feel his black cloak with the kraken, the sigil of House Greyjoy getting heavier.

“Who comes?” he says. “Who comes before the god?”

Lord Eddard answers, “Sansa of House Stark comes here to be wed. Who comes to claim her?”

“Theon of House Greyjoy, heir to the Pyke. I claim her. Who gives her away?”

“Eddard of House Stark, Lord of Winterfell, Warden of the North, her father. Lady Sansa, do you take this man?”

Sansa’s deep blue eyes flick up to him and her lips pricks up in a smile of sorts. “I take this man.”

When Lord Eddard gives Sansa to him, Theon bows his head. There are no hints of joy on his face, but there are no hints of displeasure, either. He takes Sansa’s hand and together bows before the heart tree and mutters a silent prayer.

And after a moment, they rise up. Theon unfastens Sansa’s direwolf cloak about her shoulders and in its place dons the Greyjoy kraken cloak. He smiles at her gently, and Sansa does too.  
Quick as that, it is done.

_Perhaps this is the day I become a Stark in name too._

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you like it! I'm not sure if I got Theon's voice right, but I hope you did enjoy this little AU in which Theon is happy.
> 
> Also, I edited Sansa's age at the marriage.


End file.
